a glorious period of unemployment
During a glorious period of unemployment (35, a good age to spend some time with yourself, right?), I stumbled upon a proof of Donald Richie’s The Japan Journals, loved it, but wanted to do more then just read it and throw it on the shelf. So I dropped the Lambda Book Report a note asking if they’d be interested in me reviewing it. They responded warmly and published my review in their next issue.
Well I then queried them about possibly reviewing Han Ong’s then-new book, The Disinherited (another proof, bless Housing Works Used Bookstore and Café, where I volunteer). They wanted an interview as well and boom! I landed the cover of the next issue! Which was great, but also turned out to be the last issue of the magazine in that particular incarnation. Bummed that they folded, but bitten by the reviewing bug, I decided to move forward, hitting up other publications, but with two principle goals: I was going to focus on writing positive reviews; it’s just too easy to trash a book. I’d read enough snotty reviews where the reviewer was obviously jacking off to his own wit rather than dealing with the text at hand. And I’d mostly focus on the gay Asian experience. Basically gay letters are just too fucking white. Sexual colonialism is something I’ve explored in my own work, so naturally I was drawn to investigate the writings of others in this area.
Here are some my reviews (you’ll need to scroll down on most of these):
Han Ong interview and review.
Review of Andy Quan’s Six Positions.
Review of Justin Chin’s Attack of the Man-Eating Lotus: Blossom
Review of The Rice Queen Diaries by Daniel Gawthrop.
Review of Vintage by Steve Berman.
Review of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys.